Sifter



Aug. 17, 1943. F. E. COLLIER SIFTER Original Filed Oct. 27, 1940 /vx/E/vroe Hefe/WAN E. Coz. LIER `By fu, @4u-@v )www A TTo/QNEY:

apparatus;

Patented ug. 17, 1943 Y' Freeman ILlCollier,v ltlinneapoliall/Iinn., assigner v, to Foley Manufacturing Company, Minneapolis',

,Minn-,a corporation of Minnesota.

y *Original* application Octoberr', B40, SerialfNo. .Il

Divided and this application Gctober 13, 1941, Serial N0.`414,332 I y Y Y 3 Claims. (Cl. 23194-357) This invention relates to culinary apparatus v and more particularly to iiour sifters of improved designA capable of being used efficiently and easily in culinary operations. Y Y

Flour sifters heretofore available are subject to the objections that they-are bulky, lacking in balance, and not easy to use, particularly in Yconjunction Withmeasuring cups. In addition,

they are frequently heavy, expensive toconstruct and so designed as not to be durable in use.

It is an object of theinvention to overcome these objections and to provide an improved iiour sifter which will be light in weight,fyet strong and durable, well balanced and easy to use, capable of being manipulated by one hand, and in all more satisfactory than devices `heretofore available.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a iiour sifter which may be used'as a iiour sifter for dispensing our into a measuring cup or the like. The sifter of the present invention is formed so that it may be tted solidly into a measuring cup or the like, thereby avoiding tipping.

Other objects of the4 invention are those inherent in the apparatus hereinafter illustrated, described and claimed. 1

The invention is illustrated in the drawing in which i YFigure-1 is a plan view of the apparatus ofthe present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional View in elevationtaken along the lines 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional `View of the connection of certain parts ofthe Figure 5 -is an enlarged elevational view taken along the line 5f5 of Figure 2;

Figure Gis a side elevationalrview of a slightly Athe same as its height. The cylindrical member is preferably made of sheet metalfolded `and preferably is made of one piece of sheetr metal. The cylindrical member .l0 may be ofa constant diameter throughout or ofthe shape shown at l0 in Figure 6, wherein the bottom of the cylin-` der is drawn in as shown at a. The upper edge of the cylindrical member is rolled over outwardly to form a flange beading as shown at Il, and the lower end of the cylindrical member is rolled inwardly to provide a flange 2|. Near the upper part of the cylindrical member, there is provided an arcuately shaped slot l1 and immediately below the outwardly turned nange I I.

CFI

A mlnto the ,cylindrical member I0v or' ill', ,there` is pressed a":frustro`conical funnelmember,A generally designated'Zll, which is preferably a stamping of sheet metal. A1; the upper endofthe'funnel, there is an outwardlyv` rolled 'flange 2lwhich is .then crimped uponfitsel'f :as shown at 22A so as` to retain awire'cloth screening'element 23. .The

funnel member andthe Wire cloth element 23 thus constitute anelassembly which is'. pressed into the cylindrical. member until the outer surface of the frustro-conical member-Zfcontacts' the inwardlyv rolled .flangev -I .2.l at i4' asshown .in Figures 2 and 4.. .Y The cylindrical member is then preferably beaded inwardly by rolling at aline i6 slightlyabove the upper edge of .thecrimped flange portion 22,- the inwardlyrolled'bead serving additionally to compress the yflange and retain the entire *funnelr assembly 20 in place inthe The funnel member 2i) is Vlikewise preferably provided with two or more outwardly rolled bead- Vings 21'?. and 25,v the lower-beading 25 serving to provide a smooth -edge and alsoY serving to Y stifen the lower -cdg'e offthe .frustro-conical member. .Theintermediate beading 24 ispositioned yso as to provide .anoutwardly extending ledge, which will engage upon and steady.;v the entire sifter assembly when the'same is .placed l uponv a cup or other cylindrical container. 1

The location of the. intermediate beadingl 24 (and other intermediatebeadings which may if desired `be provided) issuch Vso Vas: to enable the'use of the sifter with-various sizes of I neasuring cups and receptacles.- In'thisconnection,

` I2 of the cylinder also forms a shoulder which it isnoted also that the inwardly extendingflange likewiseserves as a rest for the siftenwhen the latter is Vused with a measuringcup.l When" the cylindrical member is ofvtheftype llishown' in Figure 6, the lower drawnin portion Illav 'likef wise provides a rest portionformeasuring cups Y larger than the diameter of flangelZ...

At the center of then/ire screen element 23,

there islpivotally mounteda spoke-'shaped agi'- tator, generally designatedvil.` Thek agitator is preferably made of stamped' metal` andhas ay plurality of spokes Y3i, the spokes each"being 4'shaped in the form of Va' channelfor thevpurpose of stiffness. Y 'f The agitator 3Q isV preferablyV k.mounted with the curved under-surface orl each of, thefspokes 3l in` contact With the wirescreen'element'so as to vprovide a smooth actionV of the 'agitator `upon the screen element. One of the spokes V 3l v is also provided with YVan upturned integrallyv formed extension 33,' which is folded at the rtop A sifted through the screen 23.

oted upon the rivet 36, which is immovably attached o-n the wire screen element 23.

Protruding outwardly from the upper por-tion of thecylindrical member l0, there is a handle structure, generally designated 40, Which is com-V One end of posed of a flat, Ushaped strip 4l.

a circular cup or other container wi-th which the i sifter may be used thereby'aiding in holding the,

sifter against overturning in the event the operator desires to rest the sifter upon the cup or the U-shaped strip 4I isl crimped onto a sheetA metal handle piece 42, thecrimping being sufiicient to hold the spring Vstrip 4| immovable with respect to the sheet metal handle piece.

Thehandle piece 42 has a portion 43, which is spot welded or otherwise ailixed tol the cylindrical member I0, and the handle is preferably provided with parallel embossed lines 44 for stiiening and for providing a finger gripping section and with embossing 45, which serve to enhance the strength of the'harndle where it is ljoined to they cylindrical member.

krThe opposite portion of the flat, U-.shaped strip 4111s similarlyrattached vto another sheet metal handle portion 45, which is likewise crimped to the U-shaped sheet ymetal Vspring strip, as shown at 4B; yThe opposite end of the member 45j is crimped onto a wire element 50, the latter wbeing bent'intoV a rectangular `form as shown atfl. The element 45 is likewise pro-vided with the strength of the element and also serve as anger grip portion.' 5 'i' s 'I'he wire element 50 extends through the arcuate slot l1, and then is bentsas vshown at y52 to extend downwardly closely adjacent the side other container. By such construction, the user is able to save motions, dishes, scattered flour, and is able to sift directly into a measuring cup.

`AIt is to'be noted also that the lower beading .'23 on the frustro-conical funnel 20 is not a 180 ll Y A crimp and hence material does not tend to lodge within the beading 23 as would be the case if the beading 23 were simply an edge metal fold.

Vparallel embossings 41 which serve to enhance Wall lofv the cylindrical member'le, The wireV element 50 extends downwardly `at 52 through the 'slot 34p, where it as to be reta-ined. s

In lthe normal position, ythe spring strip 4l tends to maintain 'the handle in a position shown in full lines in Figure 1,y but when an operatory grips the handle 4U and squeezes the same, it

is free to move to the dotted line position shown inI Figure' 1. Duringthis movement, the wire element 501slides along the arcuate shaped slot I1, the limits of movement being determined by the ends ofthe arcuate shaped slot. As the handle 40is moved from `the full to the dotted line positions shown in Figure 1, the wire element likewise moves and `rotates the spokev shaped agitator with reference to the screen 23.`V When V.the operator relaxes the grip upon 'the' handle 40, the springiness of strip 4| returns vthe handle to the position shown Vin Afull lines andcauses a return rotary movement of the agitator element thereby causing flour or-other material within the sifter to `be agitated and Since the entire handle 40 is positioned at the upper portion of the sifter, and sincethe Weight of the material is well below the position of the handle 40, the sifter tends to hang in a stable position thereby preventing Vaccidental Aspilling of material in the sifter. The sifter is thus inherently balanced and does not require any attention on behalf of the operator to prevent spilling of the material. Likewise,vthe sifter may readily be used for scooping the material to be `sifted from a container.

-As `another feature of the invention, it may be noted that during use, the flange I2 of the sifter or bead 24 (or another of the intermediate beads 24;'if provided) will rest uponan upper edge of is bent as shown at 53, soi

This application is a division of my eo-pending application Serial No. 360,107 filed October 27, 1940.

Many obvious variations will be apparent to those ,skilled in the art and Asuch lare intended to beowithin the purview ofthe invention illustrated, described and claimed. i

Iclaim asmy invention: Y Y Y 1. A sifter comprisingl a generally cylindrical shell having a sifter screen mounted therein in a plane generally perpendicular to theY axis of the cylinder, an arcuate slot in the cylinder wall in a plane substantially parallelwith but displaced from the plane of thev screen, ari-agitator pivotally mounted onA the screen', said agitator having a slot therein extending outwardly fromthe pivotal mounting,v a handle of `generally U-shaped configuration positioned radially outwardly from the cylinder wall near the arcuate slot in the cylinder wall, said handle being composed of two relatively stra'ightjstiif parts joined together 'at theirv outer fend, the inner end of one part being solid-ly attached to thev cylinder and the inner end of the other part being. adjacent the arcuate slo-t ofthe cylinder wall and free to move therealong, and a stiff connector extending from the end of the moveable handle part, fthrough the slot and then' Vendwis'e of the cylindrical shell jacent the slot in the cylinder, one legof the U- 'shaped handle being connected to the cylinder, a `stiff member connected to the other leg of the U-sh'aped handle .extending through an arcuate slot in the cylinder and then downwardly within the cylinder toward the screen, said extending portion being positioned in said slot whereby the agitator isY rotated when thehandle is squeezed.

3i. 'Adevice of the type set forth in claim 2 wherein the Ll-shaped handle includes a VU -shaped spring strip, l,sheet ends crimped ontothe strip, oneV of .said ends being xedly attached to the cylindrical member and the other being' crimped to envelop awire, said wire being the member VextendingyV through a slot in the cylindrical member. FREEMAN E.V COLLIER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,526,762. August l?, 15H45.

FREEMAN E. COLLIER.

l`t is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, seoond column, line 5h, claim l, after the word "end" first occurrence, and before the comma insert --by a flexible strip; same line and claim,after "one" insert --relatively straight`; line 56, same claim l, after "other" insert --relatively straight; line M9, claim 2, for slot substantially radially" read --substanti ally radially slot; and that the said Letters Patent should be read wi th this correoti on therein that the same may Conform to the record of theoase in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 9th day of November, A. D. l9li5.

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

